Ablaze: Told Twice Book 2

The Girl Who Asked about the Plan

Sakura heard a voice on the coms as she raced back to Gotham and it was a welcome one.

"Uh, guys. Anyone there?"

Sakura paused and touched her com. "Cy! Thank goodness you're safe! Oh, I thought that everyone was..." Sakura broke off. She couldn't finish that thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I'm wondering why the world's gone bonkers."

Sakura scowled. "I don't know how someone managed to shoot Superman, but I'm sure as hell going to find out."

"Shot Superman! I was calling to ask if you knew that the military was attacking Wonder Woman."

"Shit!" Sakura tugged at her hair in frustration. "Someone buried Batman alive, Superman was shot, and now the military is attacking Wonder Woman. Have you heard from GL? Flash?"

"No. You were the first one to respond."

Sakura let out a frustrated yell.

"Kunoichi. Wait. I'm gonna have to call you back. I think Wonder Woman's about to go into cardiac arrest."

"Cardia—where are you? I'll come to you."

"No, I got this. We can regroup later." A part of Sakura's mind rebelled at that idea but something more urgent pushed her to get to the cave.

"Fine. I'm headed to the Cave. Superman is probably already there."

"Will do."

:::

Sakura was halfway to Gotham when she felt herself being lifted up into a pair of arms and sped along faster than she could move on her own. "Flash! You're safe!"

"Yeah, and believe me there's a crazy story behind it." Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed.

"Have you heard from GL?" Sakura questioned. "He's the only one unaccounted for."

"No, but maybe by now Bats knows something."

Sakura sighed. Something inside her told her that he did. When they arrived at the cave, Superman was indeed there, and Sakura realized that she still had the Kryptonite on her person.

"Bruce?"

"Give it to me." He demanded, and Sakura hurriedly acquiesced when she saw the green pallor of Clark's skin. When Bruce locked away the Kryptonite he turned and looked at both of them.

"Wonder Woman? Cyborg?" He questioned.

"They should be around shortly," Sakura said. "I spoke to Cyborg on the way here. He was safe, and he had found her." She didn't mention the cardiac arrest. She had to believe that was a situation that Cy could handle on his own. He would have told her if he needed her.

Bruce nodded. "We need to go."

"We should wait for the others," Sakura argued.

"If we wait too much longer, then the Lantern will die."

Sakura took a deep, shuddering breath. "Then we go."

Superman opened his mouth to argue, but Sakura held up a hand. "You and Flash stay here and wait for the others. Batman and I will take care of Green Lantern. We'll meet you later."

"Sakura," Superman began.

"It's fine, Clark. We'll fix this, but I need you to stay here and with Flash. I don't want anyone alone right now. I don't know what I'd do if you—" Sakura recalled seeing Superman fall from the sky. She remembered barely being able to catch him in time. If she hadn't been there what would have happened? If she's been a little later, he could have...

Sakura cut off her words when she noticed Bruce whirl on his feet and head toward the jet.

"Okay, Sakura," Clark said softly. "Go." Sakura nodded and ran after Bruce.

:::

Sakura didn't know a delicate way to voice her question, so she just asked it. "Why did you come up with a way to kill all of us?"

"I didn't." Sakura frowned and Batman clarified. "Just the majority."

"Who didn't you have a plan for?"

Batman glanced sideways at her and then she knew. "Me. There wasn't a plan for me."

"There was--through Superman."

"I don't understand."

"What would you have done if he had died?" Batman didn't give her a chance to answer. "You pretty much answered back in the cave. He's important to you. If he had died, you would have as well."

Sakura felt tears prick her eyes. "Why are you so damned cruel?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Me? The hell, Bruce? What have I done to make you ever ask that of me?" He didn't reply, and Sakura could feel herself grinding her teeth. "No! You don't get to back out of this conversation Bruce. If I'm hurting you in some way then you need to tell me about it so I can stop. You know the last thing I want is your pain!"

"Then stop playing games. Who do you want, me or Superman?" Sakura's mouth opened, but no sound came out. "You spend all this time worrying over me and whether or not I'm injured but then you leave and go play house with him."

"Bruce," Sakura began.

"You call yourself the medic of this team, but I don't see you watching over any of the others nearly as much as you do him and me."

"That's not true!"

"The hell it isn't! You know I watch everything. I see patterns in everyone's behavior, especially yours, since I can't stop watching you!" Sakura felt tears prick her eyes. "Do you know how hard it is to watch you fly away with him? To hear you talk to him as if he were everything and then hear you do the same to me? You can't have us both. You need to choose because I'm sure as hell am not going to let you keep pulling me around like this. I've had enough!"

Sakura balled her fist and left them on her thighs. "This is why you asked me to come and live with you. You wanted me to pick you."

"But you're not, are you?"

The rest of their trip was completed in silence until they arrived. Bruce told her to stay in the jet while he went to get Green Lantern. Sakura complied, but it didn't take her long to get over herself. She couldn't let Bruce go in alone. She didn't know what dangers he would be facing. She came with him on this trip because she didn't want anyone in the team to be alone—including, maybe especially, him.

Bitterly, she exited the jet, wondering if this was a part of the mixed signals that she was apparently throwing out.